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Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-7777
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-7777
Room With A View!
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- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$$
30 reviews for Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
1/1/2008
9/14/2009
9/11/2009
8/4/2009
1 photo
9/1/2009
12/25/2008
13 photos
5/17/2009
12/6/2008
11/2/2008
12/28/2008
6/6/2009
4/29/2009
6/6/2008
1/29/2008
12/11/2007
3/18/2008
6/3/2007
6 photos
4/9/2007
5/14/2007
2/4/2009
2/10/2008
7/2/2007
4/11/2007
4/9/2008
10/25/2006
7/19/2009
1/21/2008
12/12/2008
4/12/2008
4/16/2008
One of Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows' Favorite Reviews What's This?
Great high end beach hotel. Service exceptional, and great indoor/outdoor patios and restaurants. Bar leaves a bit to be desired, but not enough to make this a four star rating. Great, friendly personnel.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Cool (2)
I stayed here for 4 nights in August 2009, This hotel is a real standout among the luxury properties of Santa Monica. I picked it because it was close to the ocean ,LAX and the PCH, and would be close to the clubs and party atmosphere of WeHo, without having to fall asleep in the middle of it. It has a very peacefull and old world feel to it, and I would always feel my shouders drop when I turned into the courtyard.
I found the staff of this hotel to be very welcoming, warm and friendly, and I was very relaxed while staying here. The service here is very VERY good. The staff are kind and professional, but not 'cloying' if you know what I mean... and the grounds are imppeccable. The history and arctectecture alone (3 distinct styles) in this place is worth a visit...the girl who Yelped about the fig tree was not exaggerationg. That tree alone is tottally worth a Yelp, and it was a highlight of my stay.
The room was very beautiful, with a large bathroom and great lighting throughout. There was a full bar in the room, large "normal" size bottles of liquor, which is noteworthy and a very cute little expresso machine. My bungalow was across form the koi pond and outdoor cafe. My room had a a small and private patio with two chairs and an umbrella table. Smoking is permitted n these rooms (on the patio area only) upon request.
I received a welcoming amenity from the manager within an hour of arriving; fresh fruit and bottled water, with a handwritten note on a card. This was unexpected, and I do not know why I recieved it, but was very thoughtful.
The pool was small, and very well maintained. I noticed water toys for the kids. Busy on weekends and lounge chairs were set up in the gardens for guests (like an overflow area) The gardens are immaculate, and beautifully lit at night.. Cheerful outdoor fires blaze and small groupings of chairs and benches for conversation seem to be everywhere.
Concierge is very helpful with arraigning tours, concert tickets, etc, driving directions. Very patient and seemingly tireless. The hotel has a complementary car and driver available daily for guests use.
The steam room, sauna room is open 24 hours, it is freshened up and cleaned thoughout the day, but it is also cleaned really really thoroughly between 10pm -12am daily...and so it it is essentially closed during these hours. Plan your steams/saunas accordingly. This area has all the grooming amenities you could wish for, and lots of water, teas, fresh fruit etc.
I did not pay for valet parking. I drove a hybrid, and at this hotel, hybrids park for free.
I got the paper every morning. Both the New York and the LA Times. I know, not very "green" of me, but a treat, nonetheless.
I did not pay for internet. I signed up for the President's Club on the internet (free) . and Prezzie Club members get free internet. Woot.
I did not bring my dog, but I should have. He would have been treated better than me. This hotel is exceedingly pet friendly, and pets get lots of amazing goodies when they stay here. I saw this firsthand.
There is a small gift/sundry shop and an ATM in the hotel, too
(In the effort of full-disclosure, we received a complimentary weekend here out of a certain awards show gift bag. This will not bias my review.)
SERVICE/LOCATION:
My wife and I came here on an in-town getaway weekend with our baby daughter. From the moment you walk in, you are treated like a king. Just outside of the hotel is a different world, granted, it's still Santa Monica, which is nice, but this is like an island. Very peaceful, great trees, plants, and flowers are everywhere... it makes it hard to forget you're still in LA and not Hawaii.
ROOMS:
We stayed in a suite which was near the pool area, there was a path between us and the pool. The room itself was fairly small but it had a nice high ceiling and a great patio area. We requested a crib and it was brought in, they even gave our little one a cute little elephant which she still uses and loves.
POOL:
The pool area is a little small but very nice, there's just no way you're going to get a seat anywhere near the pool after 9:30am, so get there early. If not, the overflow area is nice... it's this grassy area near the pool with big palm trees for shade or a sunny area if you're there for a tan. There are plenty of waiters to take care of you and there's a nice set-up of water, if you want to serve yourself.
RESTAURANTS:
We had a meal at "Fig," their restaurant which overlooks the pool. If you're not used to "LA" style food, you might not like it but just try anything off the menu as-is, you'll be pleasantly surprised, everything tastes very 'clean' and you won't feel bloated after your meal... well, I did because I stuffed myself with their yummy cookies, haha.
BEACH:
If you want the beach, it's a good 15 minute walk down the bluff, but why go there? Just hang at the pool, Santa Monica Bay has some of the worst water on the coast... if you do go, seriously, wear earplugs to prevent infection.
MISC:
My only little knock was the first night we were there, there was a party of obnoxious people yelling and screaming outside of our patio area (which is the main path to the pool) around 2am. It went on for about an hour and a half. We assumed someone working there would have quieted them, especially since this was about 30 feet outside of the main door and front desk. We had to call the front desk and they got security there, after about 20 minutes they were gone.
Parking is pricey, you'll want to park at the public lot which is basically kitty corner to the hotel. I think it's on 2nd, just east of Wilshire and the hotel. It's super cheap in comparison and an easy walk.
OVERALL:
Would I go back? In a SECOND. We had a great time, a well-deserved getaway.
Was lucky enough to get to stay here regularly for work for awhile, and the Miramar became a home away from home.
Pros:
- Fantastic location, right on Ocean and near the Third St Promenade for easy shopping
- Friendly staff that seemed to genuinely care about my stay
- Heavenly beds
- Great pool area with a waterfall and plenty of landscaping
- Beautiful views of Santa Monica, the pier, and all the up to Malibu when it's clear
Cons:
- Located "on the beach", but it's really up on the bluff so it's quite a walk down to the beach. If you want to stay on the beach, try Shutters
- Rooms are nice, but no "extras" that make it really special or stand out
Great saltwater pool, very intimate. I like to drink beers in it and think about stuff, stuff like, "This pool is great. I am hidden from the world. Good for me. I am special. I wish I had a pool like this in my office". Nice ocean views and a deck you can walk out on for some ocean air. Sit by the pool at night and sip wine. Don't feed the fish.
There are already 21 reviews of this lovely oceanfront hotel, so I'm reviewing the landmark tree on the grounds, by the hotel entrance.
You can't miss it, you can see it from Wilshire. The 1879 Morton Bay fig tree is 80 feet tall, the second largest of its kind in CA. (The largest is in Santa Barbara.)
The huge tree was carried, as a tiny sapling, on a sailing ship from Australia, and ended up in the hands of the wife of Santa Monica's founder, Senator John P Jones.
The original Mirimar was in fact their estate, where Mrs. Jones had the sapling planted, and was not converted to a hotel until 1921.
The tree was declared a historic landmark in 1976.
I posted photos of the tree, but they don't do justice. The pictures don't begin to capture the tree's grandeur, its powerful, peaceful presence.
I used to live in the Charmont, also a historic landmark, just a couple blocks from the Fairmont Mirimar Hotel. For two years I walked to the bluffs almost every day, usually stopping to admire the Art Deco statue (of Santa Monica) at Ocean & Wilshire, across the street from the hotel.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
There's a lot of legend, and a lot of magic, surrounding this historic & spiritual intersection. All you have to do is pause and take notice.
"Think Like a Tree"
by Karen I. Shragg
"Soak up the sun
Affirm life's magic
Be graceful in the wind
Stand tall after a storm
Feel refreshed after it rains
Grow strong without notice
Be prepared for each season
Provide shelter to strangers
Hang tough through a cold spell
Emerge renewed at the first signs of spring
Stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky
Be still long enough to
hear your own leaves rustling."
Merry Christmas.
People thought this was:
- Useful (12)
- Funny (13)
- Cool (18)
Wow! One of the nicest hotels I have stayed in, that's for sure. I have a special circumstance which makes me slightly biased in that I get a discount there, so take this with a grain of salt- I did not pay full price for my Ocean View suite, but wow, it was nice, and would have been worth the full price, I'm sure.
We were on the 9th floor and had an awesome, northern facing view of the beach and the hotel compound below us- the pool, the bungalows, etc from our little balcony.
Loved the details and attentiveness. Comfy beds, quiet rooms with sort of 'colonial beach' theme, nice gym, NYT everyday, a staff person who comes door to door and offers to turn down your bed at 6:30 pm, nice room service, water in the gym has cucumbers and rosemary in it, they have nice room service-stuff like that. In fact, all of the service here was really unpretentious and friendly from the pool side servers to the concierge.
One of the only annoyances I had was the internet- I got suckered into registering for the Presidents Club to get wireless for some reason, when I could have just accessed the system by turning on my computer- I found the information misleading. Also, they also couldn't provide me with any Advil, it was $10 for 20 pills. I found this excessive.
People thought this was:
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I love this place.
But it is second to the Loews.
The bar is par, and some views are downright 2 star.
People thought this was:
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This is a swanky hotel for those looking for high end treatment. The bungalows indicated that it was for "entertaining", but we found out that this was definitely not the case. We hosted a good size party under the misconception that the place holds true to their advertising, but security came around twice to warn us about the noise even before midnight. After that, the hotel contacted us, stating that we would be charged an extra $200 for the extra "cleaning" after our stay. Ridiculous.
For the money we put down on the place, I'd rather blow it on a Hotel 6 and save the rest of the money for a upscale dinner.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
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Only spent one night here but it was a great experience. DOG FRIENDLY, which we needed for our puppy. Let her run around on a leash on the grounds. The staff stopped to pet my dog.
Room was large and comfortable.
One negative, but not surprising is the price of food. $16 for 2 eggs any style. For $16, i could buy 10 cartons and cook them on the hood of my car.
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Came here for an expensive brunch of basic breakfast fare. Good food, nice decor, somewhat slow service. Not much else to say here...
I believe a hotel is only as good as its people. You may have a 4 or 5 star facility anywhere in the world, but without incredible people, you will never see a 5 star overall rating. This Fairmont has been turned around by a bunch of Peninsula Hotel veterans and their hires. They greet guests by name and are passionate about service. From the valet at the from door to the concierges, front desk, lobby bar, gift shop staff, pool and fitness staff, to the wonderful new Fig Restaurant, there's no finer all-around hotel in LA! Its amazing Fairmont hasnt looked at the Miramar versus other propeties around the globe. The Miramar seems to have an amazing energy amongst the staff. Great leadership is paying dividends! There's a "can do" attitude in this hotel!
Booked another hotel online before getting to Santa Monica and it was horrendous. So , while walking around with my family we found the Fairmont and decided to switch. The concierge had a car drive us to our other hotel and get all of our luggage for us and drive us back. It was a good 15-20 minute drive!
Our hotel room was lovely, clean, beautiful, but had so-so view.
The friendly and accomadating staff made up for that, however. The comfy beds were great after walking along the pier, beach and promenade. The linens and towels were luxurious, which is always important to me, esp. at a hotel. I had so much to do while in SM, but never wanted to get out of bed!
Love the location, and loved that it felt a little more private than the hotels that were right on the beach. Will def. go back on our next trip to SM.
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Using Allan's legend I would have to say it is a 5 star easily. In a world where acceptable customer service has become passable completion of a service with little consideration toward the recipient of said service - then the Fairmont must absolutely receive a 5 star.
Every staff member does not shy away from making eye contact. Every staff member attempts to anticipate your need. Every staff member acknowledges you even if they are not yet ready to serve you. Every staff member addresses you respectfully without sounding saccharine or condescending.
As far as the infrastructure, there are some short comings for sure - many created from a bygone era. Awkwardly placed bar/cafe. Restaurant could use some updating. Rooms need upgrading. But all of this is minor (and fixable). Training a staff in working collectively toward the common goal of serving their clientele well - that is a major feat.
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The Fairmont and what I loved about it....
The bed. The king size bed. Oh to the hell yes. It was able to fit 4 people in it as we laid there watching Superbad after a long ass day. (And yes, that's all we did was watch the movie....and on the Superbad tip, did I just miss something, this movie wasn't all that funny. First half, great, but the last half, ugh, wrap it up already)
The view. Oh that view. Blue skies met by the purdy pacific blue ocean with gorgeous greenery on the surround.
The Sapporo bucket. It's Gold, party people. When you order room service and order Sapporo it comes in a nice gold pale. Awesome.
The management. They really took care of us and made us feel at home for the night.
As for the rest, as a head's up....
Valet Parking for the night is almost $30 per car, not counting tip.
The room service is pretty pricey and portions are small.
Other than that, enjoy your stay here. The location is prime and during the Summer, this is an awesome place to come and get a cabana and have cocktails by the pool. Good stuff :)
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Having stayed here for a night on business, I'm struggling to rate this either 4 or 5 stars. The service was without exception friendly and courteous. The grounds are nice. My room was perfect. The bed was very comfortable and I had a good night's sleep. The location is the best thing about the hotel, as I was able to get up in the morning and jog on the beach. Check-in and check-out were painless and quick.
I was unsuccessful in regulating the room temperature to my comfort level, which forced me to crack open my terrace door (I got a free upgrade to one of their "Bungalow" suites).
The cost to stay one night, thankfully paid for by my employer, was $466 including tax.
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PERFECT BRIDAL SHOWER LUNCHEON/HIGH TEA VENUE!
I threw a bridal shower for my best friend here for 30 people, and everyone was SO impressed by it! The Fairmont does a great job with high tea; they bring out the 3-tier platters with those cute triangle-cut tea sandwiches, scones, and chocolate covered strawberries and various other desserts. The presentation is truly pretty (see photos). Cost is $28/person, compared to about $32 at other places which aren't as fancy.
It's also cool b/c you don't have to put down a credit card # or even deposit for the event like most other tea houses we called, so it's no pressure if the time is changed or you need to cancel altogether (24 hour notice of course).
Perfect place to throw a bridal or baby shower!
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I still love this hotel -- whether a tower room or a bungalow. You cannot beat the service and the room comfort. And...well with the Third Street Promenade, Hwy 1 to Malibu and great places to eat and drink within walking distance...who could complain?
Yes, it's pricey...but worth every penny...
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Why am I staying in a hotel in Santa Monica when I live in Redondo?
I picked up on a business traveler and he was staying here.
Just kidding JohnG....we stayed here because one of his friends were getting married and this is where the wedding party was staying.
The hotel is nice. The rooms are...well...hotel rooms but you can't wow me with a hotel room unless it is a suite and the wedding party took all of them.
I like the pool but not that it is fancy but because this is where we spent most of our time drinking.
FYI if you have a choice being either the brides friends or the grooms friend go with the groom. Why? The reason why we spent most of the day at the pool was because the groom and all the guys hung out here enjoying the pool while all the girls primped for 8 hours. The guys just went back to the room shower got dressed and went to the wedding.
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Okay. The tree is amazing! I had to get that out of my system. Now for the rest.....
Our stay here was very nice and they were accommodating (hotel-wise) even if the rooms are tiny.
I loathe their bathroom doors. Two swinging doors with slats which means you have no privacy. At all. Ever. Eeek!
Evening turn-down was lovely. The gym cedar smell is nice and the fruit-water refreshing. Free wifi too when you signed up with their club (woohoo) and the most amazing (and pricey but still awesome) tea in the lobby/restaurant. Our first room had a wet carpet so we had to change rooms. For our inconvenience, the manager offered us breakfast. It was nice, but way over-priced. The service seemed a little odd, but we shrugged it off and enjoyed ourselves.
The next day we were meeting family in the lobby (they went on an early morning walk) and since we hadn't eaten we decided to do breakfast downstairs again. We weren't sure if our relatives had eaten or would just want to join us for morning coffee, and the rude staff refused to seat us at a table for four if they were not going to eat. Did you ever? $60+ breakfast and we can't eat at a table if our family is going to sit with us? Are you serious? It wasn't even crowded.
We passed and all went out to eat (turns out they hadn't eaten).
So yeah, some things like the tree were grand and others need work. The koi pond was fun and I'd definitely consider them for high tea. Maybe with Fig reopening, things will improve.
We might give them another try on our next visit (especially if they change the bathroom doors and waitresses attitudes!).
We just got back from a couple of days at this hotel. The hotel is in a spectacular location--literally across the street from the beach, and a block away from third street promenade. It just doesn't get any better! And the gym was well equipped and free. They had the cardio machines with tvs on them! And free internet in your room if you join their president's club. The rooms were nice enough, though the odd design with awkward doors on the closet and bathroom meant that navigating the little space by the door was not terribly easy.
My one complaint was that they scheduled construction on their koi pond for 11:00 pm until at least 2:00 am!!! There was so much hammering and pounding going on we couldn't get to sleep. To be honest, it sounded like the people in the room below us were having wild monkey sex, and we just let it be for an hour (hey, it's a hotel, that's what you're supposed to do there) until we realized that it wasn't sex--it was construction! Then we were pissed. My fiance called down to the front desk to complain and they seemed clueless and unhelpful.
Other than that, it was a pretty good stay!
I am stuck between two and three stars on this hotel and I received an employee discount and upgrade on the room.
The wardrobe was broken, bathroom doors are like shutters (No privacy), and the decor is a bit dated.
Great view and close to the Getty Center, 3rd St Promenade, and other great shopping.
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This hotel is gorgeous. We only came to grab some drinks at the bar but it was still a nice experience. The food and the drinks are pretty pricey but I think it was worth it.
I was looking forward to seeing the big ol' turtles swimming in the pond but it was too dark to see anything. Good thing though, cause I probably would have stripped down and jumped in to play with them. kidding :)
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I stayed at the Fairmont for a conference, so unfortunately, I didn't get to take advantage of its tremendous beach-front location. Overall, this hotel is very nice, especially if you're there for a beach vacation or other leisure purpose. Apparently, it's an old hotel and has been added onto in bizarre ways. The buildings aren't especially attractive from the outside, in fact they're pretty ugly. Inside, the common areas are nice, the rooms are large and well-appointed. Service was very good. The conference space we had was nice, but cramped - probably more the fault of the conference organizer than the hotel. I got a group rate, so it was just a little pricey, but I imagine for the standard rate its downright expensive. Overall, very nice hotel, but a notch below a Ritz or Four Seasons.
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I'm really stuck between 3 and 4 stars on this one. There is no question that it is a beautiful hotel on the beach. I was on the top floor with a lovely view of the Santa Monica pier. When you pay over $400 for one night at any hotel, you expect to see a little more eye on the details. Thankfully this was expensed for work and we get a big discount, but I'm not sure if I'd pay full price for it on my own (doesn't help that I'm the cheapest woman alive). In my room, the hair dryer had clearly been dropped a lot and should have been replaced a long time ago. The carpet in the foyer was ripped and popping-up from the threshold. The bathroom mirror was missing chunks of laminate on the faux wood frame around it. The wall-mounted magnification mirror was coming off of the wall and couldn't stay in position. The lampshades and toss pillows had seen some much better days. There were just a handful of really small things that added up to a bit of a question mark for me.
The bed was comfy and the room was clean. Decent water pressure. Great room service. Speedy valet. Courteous and accommodating peeps. The main lobby and grounds are stunning. The location can't be beat.
Update 11/12/06: I spent the night again in one of the bugalows. The room quality was much improved, although one could argue that that's what happens when you pay more. It was too close to the street though, with only a barrier wall between my window and the road to keep out the noise. The whirlpool tub was amazing once the maintenance folks kindly came by to show me how to use it. The reservations staff was amazing at getting me a room at the last minute when they were almost entirely booked full. They're slowly winning me over, although I might still give the Viceroy a try next time.
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Cool (5)
i went here for vacation and to seemy cousin and itsone of the BEST hotels i have ever stayed at. the staff is FRIENDLY the rooms are CLEAN. so overall a SUPERB hotel
I came here for a networking event and it was nice. I cannot speak to the rooms but I can speak for: The waiting staff, the conference/ballrooms, the gardens, and the hotel staff.
The waiting staff members were very friendly and constantly circulating the room, each with a delicious hors d'oeuvre. The bar was nice; the bartender, quite accommodating. The gardens were well kept and beautiful. Doormen were eager to help you out of your car.
Overall a great experience.
--
Scale
5 Stars = How did I live before this place? Amazing.
4 Stars = This place is great. Not mind-blowing, but great.
3 Stars = It was okay. I'll come back to this place.
2 Stars = If I don't have to be back here, I won't.
1 Star = Count me out, this place should pay me.
Excellent service and warm atmosphere. My first time at a Fairmont so I really like the comfortable room. The view is ok, not that great here. Overall a good experience within the few days that I stayed.
It's not the Four Seasons, with folks bowing and scraping (and, being slightly resentful about it) & walking four steps behind you at every juncture, but I give it five stars because my room had a lovely view of the ocean and the pool. My room had very nice, comfortable furninshings, room service was GREAT (such good food! - and, I KNOW room service) and the staff were thoughtful and without pretension - truly warm, nice and efficient. You can walk to anywhere you would want to go in Santa Monica (the Promenade, Main Street, great restaurants, and, of course, the beach). Finally, at Shutters and Casa Del Mar there's a whole bunch of attitude and this is a great experience, but people are nice (without having to be - there's no frosty politeness - it feels real, at least).
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The fairmont miramar is BY FAR my favorite most lavish hotel I have stayed at. Its location is perfect, right next to the 3rd street promenade and right across the street from the beach! I had an amazing view, and the room was so *plush*.. i wanted to live there! The concierge was very helpful and everyone there was very professional and friendly. There was a pool area and bungalos along the side of it, it was a perfect place for a weekend trip. I wish i could stay here everytime i go to so-cal!
